


cheesy, cliché, predictable and perfect

by sam_suffers



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Gay Panic, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:46:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25497835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sam_suffers/pseuds/sam_suffers
Summary: Troy comes to terms with his sexuality and slowly falling in love with best friend through the means of cuddling.
Relationships: Troy Barnes/Abed Nadir, Troy Barnes/Britta Perry (mentioned)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 161





	cheesy, cliché, predictable and perfect

**Author's Note:**

> cw// mentions of sex and boners 
> 
> i never write joy, i just suck the life out of a show, write the characters in great pain and move on but i feel like we deserved a romance.

They cuddled. They cuddled a lot. The rest of the study group really didn’t need to know how much especially because they might get the wrong idea about exactly how much physical contact Abed was comfortable with and they might get the wrong about Troy’s totally straight sexuality. But when they were alone, they cuddled a lot.

Troy was straight; in high school it would have been inconceivable to even suggest that Troy might like men, he was prom king and quarterback, he was a manly man’s man. Being at Greendale, he didn’t have to be that person, and though he didn’t share it willingly he was at least able to admit to himself that he was probably attracted to Clive Owen and his appreciation for butt stuff went both ways.

Troy liked Abed. Troy was straight.

Troy was straight, which means that he must just be good friends with Abed, best friends, platonic soul mates, each other’s other half, no-homo life partners.

But he had such gorgeous eyes, gentle and mysterious. He could stare at him all day, except he knew that that would make the other man very uncomfortable. Everything about him was absolutely perfect, he even failed to see the flaws in the traits that others would see as glaringly bad. Sure, maybe Abed’s head wasn’t 100% in reality, maybe he could be inconsiderate or too committed to a bit - none of that bothered Troy because all of that was still _Abed_. And that made it perfect.

Also, he was incredibly handsome, his athleticism and height both intimidated him and made him question the extent of their friendship because it’s very difficult to have a friendship boner.

But cuddling him, that’s what really mattered. They never really addressed the cuddling. It had begun on their couch when they had shared a dorm room - Kickpuncher 3 was on, a film they both really adored, and Troy was getting pretty tired at the end because, let’s face it, the film had a pretty long run time; Troy ended up resting his head against Abed’s shoulder.

To be honest, it wasn’t that comfortable physically, he had really bony shoulders, something he probably should have expected in hindsight. Despite this, emotionally, it was the most comfortable he’d ever felt, he’d never felt anywhere near this relaxed or at home snuggling with any of his previous girlfriends, no, this was different, this was miles better.

Okay, maybe he was a little bit gay (and a few years after this point, he’d find out that there was a whole other sexuality for “a little bit gay”). Of course he was attracted to Abed, the man was built like a skinny middle eastern God, though he would never say _that_ out loud, not only because it would be incredibly embarrassing but it might also bring about Abed The Messiah 2.0.

Their cuddling changed over the months, it improved and adapted as they got more used to each other. Troy didn’t have to feign tiredness to rest his head on his best friend’s shoulder and he would often put a blanket between the two to soften the edges of bone. Sometimes he even rested his head on his lap, which was very enjoyable.

Abed was a lot more reluctant to initiate contact though never made any move to shake Troy off, instead he would often put his arm around him, solidifying that he was okay with what was happening. It took a few months for Abed to be the one to snuggle against Troy, but eventually he did, to the surprise and joy of the latter.

And then they had a routine. It was a pattern. Popcorn, movie, snuggle, sleep. They didn’t snuggle the exact same when they had friends with them because neither really welcomed questions about the precarious nature of their almost-romantic relationship but other than that, their relationship was pretty solid, undefined, but solid.

Troy gradually come to terms with his attraction to Abed, maybe not a change to his sexuality though, he preferred to think of himself as “straight with a few exceptions”, which Abed as his main exception. He watched his exception be flirted with by girls and it made him kind of jealous but Abed never really pursued any of them, it’s kind of like he forgot they even existed after a few conversation, no matter how promising they were. Troy took comfort in that even though he felt wrong for doing so, he should want his friend to be happy, even if that happiness wasn’t with him.

But then they wouldn’t be able to cuddle, or snuggle (there’s a difference) or hold hands or sleep in the same bed when one of them had a nightmare. Troy wished that people weren’t so obsessed with labels, so he could just be with his best friend and do all that stuff and maybe kiss him and maybe act out a few sex scenes now and again, without having to say that their friendship had changed. They would always be Troy and Abed, Abed and Troy, no matter what changed.

Troy was straight. So he started dating Britta and he realised what friendship felt what and what love felt like and he realised that he was doing the two the wrong was round, Britta was lovely and he did like her but not how he liked Abed. He didn’t think of being in Britta’s arms like being safe and he knew that that wasn’t just because they’d only been going out for a few months, because he knew the feeling when he first cuddled with Abed and they simply did not compare.

Little did Troy know but Abed was having a similar time.

He’d never really pursued any of the girls or guys that hit on him, sometimes because he only realised that they had been hitting on him when other people informed him of the fact, sometimes because he was simply not interested but always because they were all only brief distractions from his life, Troy.

And his life, cuddling Troy.

And unlike their time navigating physical contact, be it sweatyness or numb limbs, bony shoulders or height differences, their confession was television worthy.

It was routine, pattern, popcorn, movie, snuggle -

“Hey Troy?” the film had just ended, some nondescript romcom with a big confession at the end.

“Yeah?” He was muffled by their blankets and his position kind of wedged under Abed’s arm.

“I have something I’ve been meaning to tell you…”

“Sure buddy, me too actually”

“Okay, then on the count of 3”

“1”

“2”

“3”

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

And after that, everything fell into place.

It was cheesy and cliché and predictable and it was perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> can you tell i miss cuddling my boyfriend?


End file.
